Magnolia tree seed heads look like fleshy pinecones with bright red berrylike fruits inside.

Plants produce fruit and seeds in a variety of ways — some tasty, some ornamental and some that are just plain interesting.

Lotus is a great example, with a seed pod that resembles a showerhead or the spout of a watering can and dries into a natural rattle.

This spring, instead of focusing on pretty flowers, fall color or other attributes, consider adding a plant (or two) with ornamental seed pods to give your garden a little extra oomph.

True pods are produced by members of the legume family. Peas and beans are among the most recognizable, but there are flowers and trees in the family also.

In the flower garden, try lupines or wisteria. Lupine pods are born along an upright flower stalk and look like fuzzy beans sticking out from all directions. Wisteria pods are larger, flat, and hang down from the vines, adding special interest when the plant is growing over a pergola or other structure.

Many other plants produce pod-type seed structures that go by various botanical names. Capsules are one example and are produced by poppies and blackberry lilies. On poppies, the capsule looks like a head wearing a crown borne atop a long stem. They can be dried for use in dried arrangements. On blackberry lilies, capsules are somewhat dull but open up to shiny black seeds arranged in a way to resemble giant blackberries.

Lunaria is a plant that is more popular than most on the basis of its seeds. It produces a flat structure about the size and shape of a coin that has the transparency of tissue paper and enclosed small flat brown seeds. Lunaria is sometimes called money plant or silver dollar plant because of these seed heads.

Other flowers that are more discreet but still have interesting pods include columbines, milkweeds and delphiniums. Even peony, much admired for its flowers, has a unique star-shaped pod.

Pod-producing trees suitable for the Midwest include redbud, black locust, honeylocust and Kentucky coffee bean. They each produce pods of varying sizes and shapes.

Other tree options include sweetgum, which produces a spiky ball, and Japanese pagodatree, which produces a long slender pod resembling a string of beads. Magnolia is another interesting one — the seed head looks like a fleshy pinecone with bright red berrylike fruits inside.

On trees more so than other plants, pods might be seen as problematic rather than ornamental. Plant trees that produce pods and other large seed structures away from sidewalks, driveways and gutters to prevent later headaches. The arrival of elm pods and maple helicopters later this spring is a good reminder of seed pods that are less desirable.

— Jennifer Smith is a former horticulture extension agent for K-State Research and Extension and horticulturist for Lawrence Parks and Recreation. She is the host of “The Garden Show.” Send your gardening questions and feedback to features@ljworld.com.